Michael Willison and I found a bunch of good birds around Skagit
today. The day started off well at Green Point with a fly-by male
Black Scoter and six Ancient Murrelets. A couple Common Redpolls were
at Lake Erie. At least one Snow Bunting continues at the northeast
corner of March Point where there were also two adult Herring Gulls
just offshore. Up at Samish Island the flock of 70 redpolls continues
on Blue Heron Rd, but we didn't get to scrutinize it closely for the
Hoary. Five Short-eared Owls were at the North Fork Access. At Wylie
Slough there were thirty more Common Redpolls with a Pine Siskin mixed
in giving great views between the parking lots, plus the wintering
Common Yellowthroat at the intersection of the old and new dikes.

Good birding,
Ryan Merrill
Kirkland